US evangelist faces backlash for drone, bulletproof vest distribution in Manipur 

Daniel Stephen Courney, a 40-year-old evangelist of US origin, has sparked controversy after a video surfaced showing him distributing drones and bulletproof vests to Kuki militants in violence-hit Manipur. The footage, uploaded in March on his YouTube channel "Fool for Christ," has raised concerns about his activities in India, with many accusing him of inciting ethnic tensions in the region.  

Courney, who has been in India since 2009, is no stranger to controversy. While he claims to focus on relief efforts for Kuki civilians, the video depicts him providing military-grade equipment, including socks, boots, two bulletproof vests, and a drone, purportedly to monitor the movements of "Meitei Hindus." Though such acts are not explicitly illegal, they are seen as provocative in a region already grappling with ethnic unrest.  

Critics have questioned whether Courney’s actions reflect interference in India’s internal affairs. Social media is rife with speculation about potential links to the US "deep state," an allegation fueled by his self-proclaimed history as a former US Army medic.  

His YouTube channel also portrays him as an aggressive evangelist. He often describes India as a "dark" and "least evangelised" country, urging global Christian communities for financial support to fund conversions, build hospitals, and establish orphanages. Courney's street preaching, often intrusive and confrontational, has sparked backlash in India and abroad, with videos documenting heated interactions in Delhi, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and even Israel and the US.  

Courney’s family life is intertwined with his controversial mission. Married to an Indian woman since late 2009, he has six children, some of whom accompany him to areas he describes as "war zones," including Naxal-affected regions in Chhattisgarh and Manipur.  

This isn’t the first time Courney’s methods have landed him in trouble. In 2021, he was arrested in New Jersey for violating a restraining order after harassing staff and patients at an abortion clinic, referring to it as a "butcher house." He settled the case in 2022 with a $1,000 fine. Similar accusations followed him during an anti-abortion protest in New York City in 2016.  

In India, his outreach has focused on tribal regions in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Manipur, areas often seen as fertile ground for evangelical missions. With his recent activities in Manipur under scrutiny, authorities and observers are left questioning the broader implications of his presence in the strife-torn region.